By Ben Olson
Reader Staff
Cheeseburgers are one of my (many)guilty pleasures. Recently, I started my own quest to find the good, the better and the best burgers in the area. Here are my savory results:
Serv-a-Burger—Classic, big American burgers with lots of options. Cost effective and good fries, too.
Trinity at City Beach—The TCB Burger here is one of my favorite items in town. It comes with gorgonzola cheese and carmelized onions, with honey chipotle mayo and a soft pretzel bun. ‘Nuff said, eat it already.
Joe’s Philly Cheesesteaks—Don’t let the name fool you, this place is actually a burger joint disguising itself as a philly cheesesteak house. Excellent, moist patty and perfectly melted cheese.
Baxter’s on Cedar—The most humble item on their fantastic menu, the Baxter’s burger is big, tall and delicious, and comes with some of the best fries in Sandpoint.
Di Luna’s—It’s called “The Best Burger in Town” on the menu for good reason. It’s damn good. It’s a full 1/3lb patty with two whole strips of bacon. Try it with sweet potato fries.
Eichardt’s Pub—OK, I’m biased because I’ve always loved their food, but seriously, the burgers are to die for. You get a choice of beef, elk, chicken, veggie or tofu, and there are something like seven different burgers to choose from. My favorite will always and forever be the cajun, which comes blackened and smothered with crumbled blue cheese. Get the world famous garlic fries on the side to make the perfect meal. Don’t forget your breath mint.
Dub’s Drive-In—Home of the “Big D” which I think stands for “delicious.” This freak of nature burger is dripping good and leaves a satisfying mess on your tray when you’re finished. You can’t go wrong with a shake and a plate of french fries on the side. I like Dub’s because it never changes. It has no reason to.
MickDuff’s Brewery—Good burgers are even better with good beer, which MickDuff’s brews right here in Sandpoint. They have a variety of meat to choose from, including a 1/3 pound Kobe beef patty, and a black bean patty and grilled portebello cap for those that don’t eat meat. Then they have a bevy of choices for styles, including everything from classic cheeseburgers to Greekburgers with feta and tzatziki, to the Tikiburger with ham, pineapple and pepper jack cheese.
Do yourself a favor and try every stop on the MickDuff’s burger tour. You’ll find one that speaks to you, I promise.
La Rosa Club—This is one of the coolest spots in town to hang out and sink your teeth into something different by way of burgers. The Lamb Burger is a delightful departure away from the classic cheeseburger. It comes with a great big lamb patty with feta cheese, tzatziki sauce, spinach, and a brioche bun, not to mention La Rosa’s scrumptious pickles. I’m often speechless while eating this awesome spectacle of burgerdome.
Elmira’s Cafe—OK, if you haven’t had a burger and a shake at Elmira’s yet, you’re seriously missing out. It’s worth the drive, trust me. Not only is it bigger than a baby’s head, it tastes like it was made by God himself. Order a chocolate shake on the side and you won’t want to do anything productive for the next hour.
Blue Heron Cafe—A good burger at a gas station? Yeah, you snobs, it’s entirely possible. It’s my favorite place to stop after hiking up Pack River. The best part is they use Woods Meats. It’s pretty awesome to know that your meat came from just a few miles away.
Neighborhood Pub—There are some unorthodox things going on at this gastropub, namely the Dick Butkis burger, which comes with (and I’m serious) peanut butter, bacon, pickle and onion. And it’s actually pretty damn good. The Chuck Norris burger, however, takes the cake, er, bun. It has two burger patties, bacon, cappicola, pepperoni, pepperjack cheese, and veggies. Ol’ Chuck would be proud. Also, you can get a burger, a beer and some fries for lunch every day for $10. That’s amore.
Hydra Steakhouse—Though I miss the salad bar, the burgers are still worth coming back. They are classic downhome American style, with patties that are thick as a fat man’s thumb and soft, flaky buns that make for a good grip.
Zips Drive-In—The newest member to our burger family. If you haven’t tried their tartar sauce, it’s pretty dang good. A good cheap burger option.
The Point (RIP)—Does anyone remember this place? Man, they had some great burgers available late night. Late night food in Sandpoint has suffered since.
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